After the Fact
by superscar
Summary: A one night stand six months ago left Haley James pregnant with a stranger's baby. She never expected to see him again, but she did, playing basketball on National TV. NathanHaley
1. Chapter 1

After the Fact

by superscar

Haley James set her keys lightly on the counter and poured herself a glass of orange juice like she did every day.

"Hey Honey, how was work?" her roommate came through the door with a smile. "Hey, is there more of that?"

"Work was fine," Haley answered automatically, pouring Brooke a glass.

"Okay, don't look," Brooke turned her OJ into a screwdriver with a smile, "I know how you get jealous," she pat Haley on the head.

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Hey, how'd you end up dealing with what's his fuck? All hands guy? That wouldn't leave you alone?"

Swallowing her drink carefully, Haley answered the question, "Not well."

"Oh yeah?" Brooke seemed excited by this, "You went off on him? Serves him right. God, hitting on a pregnant woman is just so fucking wrong. On so many levels. Not that you aren't gorgeous, honey."

Six months into pregnancy, Haley was used to Brooke's not-quite-successful attempt at compliments.

"Unfortunately, Brooke, sometimes management doesn't always like it when their waitresses go around smacking the shit out of their asshole clientèle."

"You HIT him!" Brooke laughed, "That fucking rocks, baby! Way to go!"

"When the baby gets here, you'll have to try to cut down on words like 'fucking' you realize."

"Umm, right, I'm sure that'll happen. So what happened? Tell me about the look on his face when you hit him. Damn, I wish I'd been there."

Haley smiled, "He was shocked. Then angry. Then he got me fired. So yeah."

Brooke's smile froze. "Oh honey... I'm sorry. Do you want me to talk to them? I will bitch them into taking you back, fear not. I've never lost at something like that yet."

"No...I'll find something else. I can't go back to school right away anyway with the baby coming..."

"You have to be saving money right now, though, we did the budget last month..." Brooke looked more and more worried.

"It'll be fine," Haley insisted. It had to be fine. There wasn't really another option available. "Look, Brooke, I just got fired, can we just eat dinner, watch some TV and sleep on it before we start freaking out?"

"Sure, honey. It'll be fine."

But it wasn't fine. The next week taught Haley that not a lot of people wanted to hire someone who planned to be gone for a couple months in the near future. And those that did, didn't pay enough in the first place.

"Shoot me," Haley sighed, falling onto the couch next to Brooke.

"Shh, during the commercial," Brooke was absorbed in her TV. She'd rediscovered That 70s Show and the damn thing marathoned every day. It was beginning to cut into Haley's bitch-about-life time, and she resented it.

"Okay, NOW we can talk," she hit pause on the commercial.

Haley gaped at her. "This is a tape?"

"So?"

"You could have hit pause when I came in!"

"Could have..." Brooke shrugged, "Didn't. Is that option to shoot you still open?"

"Fine, watch the commercial, see if I care," Haley sat back mutinously.

"Okay," Brooke hit play and fast forward.

"Wait, go back," Haley grabbed the remote out of her friend's hand and hit rewind.

"What the hell, psycho."

Haley ignored her and hit PLAY.

"-join us as the KNICKS take on the SPURS only on-" Haley hit pause on one of the player's faces and her heart sped. "That guy. Who is that?"

"Uhhh, Haley, you're talking to me, Brooke Davis. I make it my business to never give a fuck about sports. Why do you care?"

"That's _him. _That's the baby's father."

* * *

Brooke Davis had never in her life googled a basketball player. But luckily, it really wasn't all that different than looking up actors and singers, which she had loads of experience with.

"Bingo. You ready Hales? Nathan Scott," she read off his bio, "Shooting guard for the New York Knicks. Considered short for his profession at 6'3". Short, that's hilarious. Anyway, it's his second year on the team, drafted right out of college at Duke. Man, you'd think a smart guy like him would know about condoms-"

"Brooke!"

"What? Yeah, I know, he wore one, but he couldn't have put it on right, look at you."

"Can we find out the facts without the commentary?" Haley sighed.

"Fine, anyway, first round draft pick, yada yada, apparently he's good. They list stats... Oh," Brooke made a face.

"What?"

"He's...engaged."

Haley had no idea why hearing that hurt so much. They'd had a one night stand six months ago. It was nothing. Well, it had turned into something, but not because they had some kind of emotional connection. It was, at best, a physical one. An intense one, if memory served. Though clearly more memorable for her than him.

"Figures," Haley shrugged, "Aren't pro ball players always screwing around on their women?"

"I guess," Brooke didn't seem ready to let it drop, but all Haley wanted to do was forget she'd ever found out who he really was. She liked the tall, dark stranger fantasy better than this harsh, engaged reality.

"C'mon, let's watch your show."

It was the one sure way to get Brooke off a subject – dangle something shiny in her face. Like TV or jewelery.

* * *

It became clear in the following weeks that Haley wasn't going to do what Brooke considered the obvious. Instead, she kept looking for jobs, fruitlessly, as their baby savings kept slipping into the abyss.

Well, Brooke wasn't having it. And if Haley didn't have the balls to get the money they needed, then Brooke certainly would.

She walked into the elevator of a massive building and hit the button. As the number clicked up one by one, she tapped her foot anxiously. Has to be done, she repeated to herself. Haley refused to take anything for herself, Brooke would have to do it for her.

The elevator dinged and Brooke went straight up to desk, "I need to see Lucas Scott, is he available?"

The secretary looked her over, "Do you have an appointment?"

"It's kind of...personal," Brooke winked, "Think he has a break coming up?"

The woman tried, very unsuccessfully, to reign back her disgust and picked up the phone, "Mr. Scott, _friend _of yours to see you. Sure," she hung up the phone, "He'll be right out. Please take a seat."

Brooke sat, not even bothering to rearrange her skirt as she crossed her legs, allowing it to ride fairly high up her thigh. Some people were blessed with stunning good looks. Others were blessed with modesty. Brooke Davis wasn't one of those rare souls with both.

A very attractive blond man opened the door and Brooke tossed him a slow smile. This was Lucas Scott, and he looked even better than his Internet pictures.

"Lucas!" she sprang from her chair and walked toward him, "It's been so long! Bet you thought I wouldn't call!"

He looked adorably confused, but from the way his slid over her body, she didn't imagine he'd admit he didn't know her. "I didn't think I'd get so lucky," he admitted finally.

"Oh, I'm sure you can get even luckier," she winked.

Lucas coughed, "Umm...would you care to see my office?"

"Sure," she followed him down the hall and into an office covered with various basketball crap.

"So," he smiled, "Remind me how we met again?"

"We didn't," she sat down, "I'm here because your asshole brother knocked up a friend of mine."

Lucas's friendly smile dropped from his face and he sat down in his chair, "Give me a reason not to call security."

"Give _me _a reason not to call the press."

"Nathan's engaged. Happily engaged to his college girlfriend. They've been together for years, why would he cheat on her?"

"I don't know _why_ men are cheating bastards, Mr. Scott, I don't particularly care about his motivation."

"You're here for a reason, though. Money, I suppose?"

"Child support," Brooke snapped.

"Is that how you're going to avoid calling this blackmail?" he asked. "Look, Miss, I don't know what you think you're trying to accomplish with this, but if you even think of going to the press with this, Nathan will be suing you for more than you have. So drop it. That's all I have to say."

"I really doubt that will fly after the paternity test results are public, but do what you have to do."

"How much are we talking about?" Lucas asked.

"$1 million over five years. That's pocket change to someone like Nathan."

"Not if he blows out his knee tomorrow."

"Well, tell him not to do that," Brooke shrugged. "If we took you to court, we could get even more. I think you know that."

"That's provided what you're saying is true. And I doubt it."

"Then call him and ask," Brooke shrugged, "I can wait."

* * *

Nathan Scott was beginning to reconsider having his brother be his agent. 10 missed calls while he was at practice. It was probably about some lame ass Nike commercial he didn't give a shit about anyway.

The phone started to ring again and he rolled his eyes, "What?"

"Oh, thanks, baby, love you too!" a woman's voice came over the line.

"Sorry, thought you were Luke."

"It's the sultry blond thing."

"You find my brother 'sultry'?"

Silence.

"Peyton?" he asked again.

"Honey, everybody finds your brother sultry. Jealous?"

"Sultrier than me?" he whined.

"Only a little," she laughed.

"You suck."

A beeping came across the line and he looked at the caller ID.

"Baby, I have to go, it's Luke."

"Ohh, say hi for me."

"I hate you," he clicked the button, "What do you need, dickhead?"

"Get over here," his brother told him, "Now."

Whatever Lucas's drama was, Nathan wished he could have waited until after dinner.

"What's the big emergency?" he finally got to the office to find a frankly, completely hot brunette waiting there in the office with his brother. "Nathan Scott," he offered his hand, "And you?"

"Not interested."

It was a first, to say the least. He knew about that reaction, in theory, but he'd never actually believed a girl who'd said it before.

"Luke? What's the deal?"

"Do you recognize this person?" the woman pulled out her cell phone and showed him a picture of an auburn haired woman in her early twenties.

"She seems sort of familiar...why?"

"Because you knocked her up," the brunette smiled and turned back to Lucas, "Now you believe me?"

"I did _what_?" Nathan gaped at her, "No. Whatever she said, she's full of it. Get this bitch out of here, Lucas."

"Fine," the bitch shrugged, "If you don't want to deal with this quietly..."

"Hold up, Brooke," Lucas instructed and turned back to Nathan, "You're one hundred percent sure, Nathan? There's no possibility that it is yours? This was what, six months ago, right?"

Nathan froze. Six months ago. "Umm...can I see that picture again?"

* * *

When Haley got home, Brooke was unusually chipper. "You will NEVER guess what you got in the mail!"

"Brooke, mail tampering is illegal. You know that, right?"

"Well, I didn't know what it was! How else are you supposed to figure it out?"

"Wait until I get home?"

"It's a check, Haley! A HUGE check, look at it!"

What little annoyance Haley had at her nosey ass roommate was lost in her eagerness to rip open the envelope.

"It's a from a bank. For a settlement," she looked at Brooke, "What settlement?"

"I _believe_ that is the bank that owns your diner than that guy was always sexually harassing you at?"

"Brooke Davis, what did you do?" Haley smacked her friend playfully.

"Did you SEE how much I got you?" Brooke didn't even try to pretend it was an accident.

"Yes, two thousand dollars!" Haley grinned.

"Look again."

"What? Why?" Haley's eyes bugged as she re-read the check.

$200,000.00

Holy shit.

_Two Months Later_

She decided not to bother getting a job until after the baby came. Brooke still wondered why on earth she had considered it in the first place. With the money appearing out of nowhere, she could maybe even afford to go back to school after the baby came. At least it was an option, maybe. They'd have to see what happened.

She had one month to deliver and Haley was doing her new favorite thing: browsing the junk food isle at the grocery store.

"Oh my _God,_" girlie squealing joined her in the aisle and suddenly there he was, Nathan Scott and a _very _skinny blonde woman that Haley couldn't help but dislike on sight. It probably had something to do with the fact that the woman had clearly _just recently_ been making out with the reason Haley had such a Cheetos obsession in the first place.

"Oh, baby, I forgot to grab the protein powder for those shakes I wanted to start making, can you go grab that?" Nathan turned to the woman Haley could only assume was the fiancee Brooke told her about.

The second she was gone, he was at her side and Haley didn't know whether to shield herself from attack or brace for passion. "What are you, stalking me now?"

"I'm _what?_" Haley's mouth dropped, "I haven't seen you in eight months!"

"Already ran through your first installment, maybe looking for another hand out?"

Did he think she was someone _else_? They'd only met briefly. Well, not really _briefly_ but it was quite awhile ago. And they hadn't exactly been sober.

"I'm just...trying to get cheetos," she mumbled.

"You think that is healthy for the baby?" Nathan glared at her. "Get some broccoli for God's sake."

Haley snapped, "Are you fucking kidding me? You don't call. We see each other _eight months _after the fact and you yell at me and give me _nutrition _advice?"

"If I want to add in some free advice with my million dollars, I guess I can!" he was practically yelling.

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"Are you playing so many people that you can't keep track in your head? Fuck, Haley! Let me refresh your memory. I'm paying you a million dollars to get out of my face and keep out of the press with that baby, which I doubt is even really mine!"

Haley couldn't think or speak, she just stared at Nathan.

But her need to respond was overwhelmed by the footsteps clicking toward them. His girlfriend was back.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

After the Fact, Chapter Two

by superscar

Peyton Sawyer hadn't pictured her engagement ending in a supermarket, surrounded by junk food with some basketball groupie ready to pop with her fiance's baby.

And yet there she was, slipping the ring off her finger and holding it out to him. She wanted to jump and scream and throw chips at him, but it seemed childish. Immature. Really, it was just more of an emotional outburst than she felt he deserved.

He'd been screaming loud enough for her to hear more than she wanted to. She didn't want the messy details. It was enough that he knocked up some random bitch. The sordid cover up, she could have done without.

"Peyton..."

"Not now. We're leaving," she hissed, "All of us. Before the manager sells this story to some goddamn tabloid because you couldn't keep your mouth shut, Nathan, you moron."

"I don't-" the groupie tried to back out of the plan, but Peyton wouldn't let her.

"No arguments. If you don't want to be hounded for your story and pictures, you'll follow us. Unless that's what you were going for, of course."

The girl seemed surprised by the suggestion and shell shocked by the entire encounter. Peyton might have felt a little more sympathy for her if she wasn't 99 sure the girl had fucked her boyfriend.

"Umm...sure, I guess. I need to call someone," her hand was shaking as she reached into her purse.

Peyton snatched the phone from her hands, "We're leaving. Nathan, bring your whore if you want to survive this scandal."

* * *

Haley tried not to take the 'whore' comment personally as she was not so politely pulled from the store _without _the junk food she came for.

"We're getting in my car, where we will drive around and discuss the situation at which point I will make my decision on where I drop _each of you_," Peyton wasn't asking for arguments and though Haley would prefer to just run away from the entire situation, she really couldn't get past a waddle in her current condition.

Sure enough, true to Peyton's word, people started showing up with cameras just after she climbed in and shut the door of the Lexus.

"Okay, so here we go. Nathan, is this woman carrying your child?"

"I doubt it," he mumbled.

Haley hated him, she was sure of it.

"You doubt it," Peyton repeated, "So you could be. Meaning, yes, you did have sex with someone other than me?"

"God, Peyton, don't make me do this right here."

"Do what, exactly? Tell the truth? Maybe I should just ask your little friend here. What's your name, friend?"

"Haley," she hoped just answering the woman's questions would make the whole thing fly by quicker.

"Right, Haley, are you pregnant with Nathan's child?"

"I don't really want to get in the middle of anything, here..."

"I'm sure," Nathan muttered.

Haley glared at him and turned back to Peyton, "Yes, I am pregnant with Nathan's child. But don't worry, I want nothing to do with him."

* * *

Nathan wanted strangle the smug little bitch as she tore his relationship apart word by word.

"Nothing but money, of course," he couldn't help needling her. If she thought she was still getting that money, she was wrong. They had a contract and she was breaking just by speaking to him.

"I haven't asked for a _penny_ from you," Haley actually looked as though she believed the bull shit she was spewing, but Nathan's bank account knew better. "How did you even know about this pregnancy? Did you hire some kind of investigator to find me?"

Right. Like he cared that much about her existence.

"Your friend Brooke paid me a visit with your demands, bitch. You thought my agent just paid off automatically? Peyton, just drop her off and we'll talk. Please?"

"When was it?" she wouldn't even make eye contact and that killed him.

After all this time, that horrible night was coming back to screw him over. "The night Dan came. We had a big fight..."

Peyton always handled everything calmly, it was part of what attracted him to her in the first place after the screaming match he'd grown up with. But at the moment he wanted her to yell and scream at him like she had that night.

"Peyton, I was destroyed that night, please...I'm so sorry. It just made me realize how much I love you and need you."

"I know. You proposed the next day. I thought it was romantic." He had proposed, it was the first thing out of his mouth, and he couldn't take it back to tell her. To ruin the moment. They'd been so happy.

Peyton slowed to a stop. Haley eagerly stepped out of the car, probably anxious to get away from the domestic drama she'd created.

"Peyton-"

"Get out, Nathan. It's over."

"You've said that before. We'll talk about this, we can get through it. It was the biggest mistake of my life and I'm sorry. I love you more than anything. I gave up knowing my child to keep you!"

"God, Nathan, that's such bull shit! You've never wanted kids, ever! You've joked about me getting my tubes tied! Fuck, I'm 24! Leave!" she smacked him and it actually sort of hurt, "Get out of my car, out of my life and if you come home tonight I will fucking kill you, Nathan!"

"Look at me," he commanded, "Look in my eyes and say you don't love me."

Peyton's eyes skewered through him and he couldn't breathe from the hatred he saw there, that he put there with his idiocy. "I hate you so much, I could kill you, Nathan Scott. Get the _fuck _out of my car!"

"Okay, I'm getting out," he took his seat belt off and slid out of the car. "This isn't over."

* * *

As her car pulled away, Nathan remembered his other little 'friend' there with him. God. Wasn't this just perfect.

Ever since Nathan brought up Brooke, Haley's mind started whirling with possibilities. It's not that she didn't think Brooke was capable of going behind her back to blackmail the hell out of her child's father. It was just so surprising that it hadn't even occurred to Haley until he'd said it.

Brooke was, if nothing else, in tune to things like money. She saw it, she went for it. It was one of the things that she did. The meddling little bitch.

If Haley survived the night, she fully intended to bitch her roommate out and never forgive her, for like, hours, at least!

"Great, you're still here?" Nathan looked at her like some kind of curious bug he longed to crush properly, but wasn't sure how.

"Well, yeah, I don't exactly have a car here."

Nathan pulled out his cell phone and started bitching at someone named 'Lucas' to send a car to their intersection.

"You've completely destroyed my life, you know," he finally commented after awhile.

"Right," Haley yawned, "I feel overwhelming sympathy for _your _plight in all of this. You're aware that I'm eight months pregnant, right?"

"Believe me, if I could change that, I would," he promised.

"Look, it's been a long night, if you could just stop yelling at me for maybe two seconds, that'd be great." God, she had a headache.

"Fine," he muttered, and they lapsed into silence.

Haley looked at her watch after awhile, wondering how long, exactly, this Lucas would take with the ride.

"So what is it?" he broke the silence.

"What is what?"

"You know," he kicked a pebble in front of him on the street, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Haley stared at him, baffled as to why he'd even care, given his feelings.

"Did you want it to be a surprise or something?"

"It's a boy."

"Oh. Cool. Have a name picked out or anything?"

"Did you bump your head in the last few minutes?" Haley eyed him carefully.

"You wanted me to be nice, okay? This is what you get. Name?"

"Joshua. Joshua James."

"He'll probably get made fun of with the same first and middle name," Nathan grinned, like he was proud of himself for the comment. Ass.

"I haven't picked out a middle name yet. Maybe Andrew."

"Way to go, you've picked out a perfectly boring name."

"Boring is ideal. The less they have to make fun of in junior high, the better."

"No son of mine needs to be worried about popularity," Nathan shrugged.

"He's not your son," Haley said clearly, "Think of yourself...as a sperm donor."

"Is that what you'd call it?" he leered at her.

"God, your girlfriend dumped you five minutes ago, is this how you're going to go about getting her back?"

"Peyton and me are none of your business."

"Peyton and I."

"God, you're not my damn tutor. Did we even talk that night, because I seriously can't imagine that I could be _that _drunk to still fuck you after five minutes of listening to you."

"I'm similarly incredulous, believe me."

"You have a fairly large vocabulary for a groupie," Nathan commented.

"A _groupie?_" Haley practically shrieked, "I'm _not _a groupie!"

"Hey, it's okay. That's practically the only thing you've done that I can actually approve of. You're among friends, don't worry."

"Dear God," Haley prayed out loud, "Please let him have recessive genes."

* * *

He'd sort of assumed when he was basically body slammed with Brooke's demands, that Haley had planned it from the beginning. Stalked him, waited for the right time and made her move. And despite her insistence that she was not, in fact, a groupie, he didn't believe her. God, there was a girl once literally camping outside his apartment building for an autograph and even _she _bristled at his joke that she brought groupie to a whole new level.

That girl was completely out her head, though. Nathan liked to think that the mother of his child wasn't a total lunatic.

She hadn't seemed like it at the time. What he remembered most about that night, was how warm he felt, which was strange. A random fuck with a stranger was rarely packed with affection, but he'd needed it that night. Maybe she had too.

"Did you know it was me?" he blurted out after staring at his shoes for awhile.

"What was who?" Haley asked. Nathan couldn't blame her for thinking he was crazy. _He _sort of agreed with her. God, he was all over the place.

"That night, did you know who I was? I mean, if you're not a groupie..."

"Oh. No. I just found out a couple months ago, actually. Commercial on TV."

"Did you at least watch the game?"

"I didn't have _that _good a time," she returned.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh, but it made his chest hurt, "Not a sports fan?"

"Not even championships."

It was probably when she made the basketball connection that she started seeing dollar signs, but Nathan was tired of reaming her for it. Some of the guys on his team were paying off more than one woman for this kind of thing. He'd found it fairly repulsive until Brooke showed up at Lucas's office.

"Lucas will be here soon."

"Right, the guy on the phone."

Nathan found it strange that she didn't seem to know who Lucas was, she had to have done _some _research on him, after all. Maybe she just hadn't made the connection.

* * *

He was starting to creep her out. Anger, she understood. No one wanted their girlfriend to find out they'd cheated and ditch them on the side of the road. Plus, _whatever _Brooke had said or gotten him to pay was clearly weighing on him.

But he'd gotten almost...friendly, and Haley didn't know what to do with that. Maybe he wasn't the gigantic ass she'd thought. More like, moderately sized, being that he still knocked her up, didn't call, and didn't bother to mention he was engaged. And yelled at her in a supermarket.

Right. She was sticking with Gigantic.

Boom! The baby clocked her one and she grimaced. "Calm down, kiddo," she patted her belly, "We'll be home in a bit."

She glanced at Nathan and he was staring at her stomach. It made her feel naked, like he could see right through her in that moment. "Do you want to- No, never mind."

"What?" he snapped out of his trance.

"Nothing, sorry," she tried to hide the pregnancy with her arms. Not with any particular success, of course.

Nathan obviously didn't know what to make of her insanity, which was far preferable to him figuring out what she'd been about to say, to _allow._ God, Brooke would kill Haley for being so naive.

Well, after Brooke recovered from the beating she still had coming to her. Bitchface Bitchhead.

"Car!" Haley pointed at the lights, relieved to focus on something other than her growing lunacy.

It pulled to a stop and an attractive blonde guy hopped out. "Hey, man...sorry it took so long, I didn't want anyone else in on the loop."

"No problem," Nathan shrugged. "Lucas, Haley. Haley, Lucas. Let's go."

Lucas looked at Haley doubtfully, "Do you need to sit a special way? Like in the back or something? For safety?"

"I'll be fine," Haley assured him.

"You take shotgun, then, dumb ass can take the back."

"_Dumb ass _pays your salary, you know," Nathan complained.

Lucas smiled tightly, "If it makes you feel better, he's a dick to everyone, not just you. Or me, for that matter. Just ignore him."

* * *

Lucas would flirt with anything breathing, Nathan was positive of it. The woman was eight months pregnant with _his _baby, and his brother was handing her into the car, trying to be amusing. God, it was repulsive.

"So when do we get to your house?" Nathan interrupted Lucas's fun little tale of life as a sports agent.

"Umm...couple minutes," Haley practically shrank back from him and it was annoying. _She _was the one blackmailing _him._

"I need to get back to see Peyton, drive faster," he punched Lucas.

"And be accused of trying to kill the girl you knocked up? Hell, no."

"So don't hit anything, dumb ass. God, just go."

"Are you sure you should go after Peyton tonight anyway? Maybe you should wait for her to cool down and listen?"

Nathan shook his head, "You'd think, but you have to hit while the iron's hot with her or it could go either way. Seriously, I have experience."

Lucas turned back to Haley, "Think of their place as the ring for the WWF."

"Okayy, could we not be extra share-y with the chick that's trying to blackmail me out of my payroll?" Nathan was going to kill him. Fucking moron.

"It's right up here," Haley pointed to the apartment building on the corner and Lucas pulled over.

"Nice to meet you, Haley," Lucas pressed the button to unlock the doors.

"Yeah, thanks for the ride – oh!" Haley's hand went to her stomach and Nathan couldn't help but picture little Joshua's tiny foot as he kicked her.

"That's so weird," Lucas looked at her stomach, "What does that feel like?"

Haley took his hand and placed it on her abdomen, "He usually doesn't stop for awhile once he gets- there! Did you feel that?"

She looked ecstatic to be sharing this with someone and Nathan wanted to kill Lucas for putting him through this. His brother was practically touching his son.

_His _son. That should be Nathan's hand. Not Lucas's.

"Time to say good night, Luke. Night, Haley! Bye!" Nathan waved in her face until she got out of the car.

"Wow, Nate, you're just the picture of maturity."

"Shut up, dick," Nathan climbed into the front seat as Lucas pulled away.

They were silent the whole way to the condo Nathan shared with Peyton.

"Change of plans, Lucas."

"You're not going to see Peyton?"

"No, I definitely am. I mean change of plans with the kid. Call the lawyer tomorrow. I want custody."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates (for everything, if you read more than one story of mine) My reasons involve things better left to a professional. But I'm glad you guys seem to like this story so far. So here we go...

After the Fact, Chapter Three

As Haley dragged her extra large body up the three flights of stairs to her apartment, she couldn't help but dread the confrontation that awaited her. Fights with Brooke were never pleasant, to say the least. Which is why she avoided them at all costs.

But this wasn't something she could sidestep, it was her entire life that Brooke had messed with, made decisions that were Haley's to make and all without even asking. It was truly unbelievable.

Unfortunately, the money that resulted from her roommate going behind her back couldn't have arrived at a better time. It wasn't angels looking out for her. Just her best friend, as per always.

Too bad it was ending in such a horrifying mess.

Haley unlocked her apartment door and she barely had a foot in before Brooke came bounding toward her.

"Hey! I got your note, did you get cookies? I'll totally keep away from your Cheetos if you got me those chocolate chocolate chip cookie things," Brooke promised, then looked questioningly at Haley's empty hands, "Damn, Haley, I know you're pregnant, but did you really eat _all _of it in the car?"

For some reason, Haley wished she had. Instead of standing here ready to go off on Brooke for her extreme meddling and possibly illegal extortion, she could just be apologizing for an empty bag of groceries.

"No," Haley sighed, "I didn't make it to the check out counter. I ran into Nathan Scott at the store. Brooke, was there anything you forgot to tell me?"

She could see the wheels turning like the hamster in Brooke's head suddenly went triple time. Twice, she opened her mouth to respond, but nothing.

"Fuck," Brooke finally gave up, "There's no possible way out for me here, is there?"

XXX

"Tell me, I just heard you wrong," Lucas glared at his brother. "Because I swear you said you wanted custody of that poor girl's baby, Dad, oh, I mean Nathan."

"Shut the fuck up, dude, I have the right to be part of my son's life. I'm not her damn sperm donor or whatever she's calling me. If that was the case, she'd be paying and not the other way around."

"Maybe she doesn't want you a part of his life, I don't know, because you're a total dick to her, proved by this conversation?"

"Yeah, because she's all honey and sunshine to me. God, Luke, you met her for two seconds, how are you on her side already? Weren't you the one wanting to kick that bitch friend of hers out of your office?"

"That was before it turned out you actually _did _cheat on Peyton and knock up Brooke's friend, dickwad."

"Great, well, it's been fun and stuff, but I have to go grovel to my fiancee now. Tell, Mr. Whatever My Lawyer's name is to be at your office in the morning."

"There is actually a team of lawyers assigned to you. And don't you mean ex-fiancee?"

"We'll see about that," Nathan got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.

Lucas just sighed. This whole thing was going to be such a huge disaster, he could feel it.

XXX

"So..." Brooke studied her cuticles as she finished her story. Damn, she needed a manicure. "Any questions?"

"No, I think the situation is fairly clear. You extorted money out of Nathan Scott in exchange for _my _signature, that you forged on a non-disclosure agreement about the baby that specifically barred me from talking to his fiancee about the situation."

"Right."

"And you see nothing wrong with that?"

"Haley, I see something _wrong _with us not being able to pay our rent and you having to work while you're eight months pregnant."

"That's just great, Brooke."

"Look, I know you want an apology and I'm sorry. I really am. I should have told you, you know, after you couldn't do anything about it anymore so you'd know to run away if you ever saw Nathan Scott or Peyton Sawyer. But I just didn't want you to be mad at me, you know, like you are now, and I guess the last thing I expected was for him to assault you in a seven eleven."

"It was actually a fairly upscale super market."

"Right. Whatever, but that wasn't supposed to happen. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry my plan didn't work. I wanted you to have the money and not have to feel guilty about taking it because it should be yours, Haley. I mean, honestly, fuck him! Well, obviously you already did that, but damn! He was engaged and he knocked you up. He has a responsibility to take care of that child whether or not he wants to be in Josh's life or not!"

"But Brooke, that was _my _choice to make, I could have gone about it in like a normal way, not extorted a million dollars!"

"Could have, but you wouldn't do that, I know you Haley, you don't ask people for money, whether you're entitled to it or not. You take care of yourself and I have no doubt that you would have gotten two part time jobs if you needed to, to make sure that we had rent, but you shouldn't have had to do that."

"You should have seen him, Brooke, he was so mad at me..."

"Yeah, yeah, Number 23's panties are in a twist because he has to pay child support. I'm crying for him. Really."

"Brooke, he thinks I'm some gold digger who just got knocked up for his money!"

Brooke waited to see if Haley had a point. But apparently not.

"So what? I think he's a cheating bastard who can't keep it in his pants, but he doesn't give a shit what I think and you should care even less what he thinks because he's wrong. You know it, I know it. And P.S. I am totally right about him, so he can go suck it."

Haley chuckled. "Brooke, you're impossible."

"Impossible...to stay mad at?" she smiled hopefully.

"We'll see," Haley shook her head, "So what do you suggest we do at this point, Ms. Genius Ideas?"

"Popcorn? Movie?" Brooke shrugged, "It's sort of Nathan's move now. He could try to take the money back or he could let it go. But either way, he won't do it tonight, so I think a chick flick is the way to go."

"Fine, but I get to chose and you can't comment on technique when they make out."

"Take _all _the fun out of it, why don't you..." Brooke muttered.

XXX

Their bedroom door was locked.

Unlike the front door, it didn't have a key and Nathan would have to actually break it down to get to Peyton, who wouldn't be able to hear him, given the volume of the angry chick rock she'd been playing for at least the last fifteen minutes.

Maybe it wasn't exactly his smartest idea to come after her tonight, but the idea of her actually breaking up with him for good scared the shit out of him.

He refused to accept that they were over. They'd broken up before and gotten back together. Usually when Peyton's emotions were all cranked from PMS.

That horrible night was, unfortunately, not one of those times they'd broken up. Fought like hell? Yeah. But he couldn't get out of this on a Ross technicality, which sucked.

Nathan took a seat on the couch, figuring he should get used to it. At the very least, he wouldn't be back in the bed for a super long time. Peyton could hold a grudge for years, if properly motivated.

God, he was so screwed.

And he was going to make it even more challenging by bringing the kid into the mix. Why?

Nathan had no idea, himself, why the idea of having a son was so much more appealing to him in the last hour than it ever had been in his life. Children were trouble, in his experience. They broke things, they drooled everywhere and when they were finally old enough to talk, they told truths no one wanted to hear.

He'd have trouble getting used to it.

But Joshua Andrew... Scott was someone he'd been at least partially curious about ever since he had the bank send Haley that first check.

Would he play basketball? Would he turn into a complete pussy mamma's boy without a father figure? Kinda like Lucas? Nathan snickered to himself.

There was also a small chance that Peyton might actually respect the fact that he wanted to step up and be a dad.

If not, she'd come around eventually. He couldn't imagine life without her.

XXX

"So what was she like?" Brooke shook the popcorn bowl, trying to find something vaguely chewable.

"What was who like?" Haley turned off the DVD player.

"You know, Peyton, your competition."

"My what now?"

"Oh, fine, the woman that prevented him from actually _using _the number you left him."

Haley didn't really like to think about how he didn't call. At the time, she liked to think that part had been all her imagination. "She was...blonde."

"Hate her already," Brooke made a face.

"She called me a whore."

"Whatever! She doesn't know you. What a bitch. She should be blaming her dear fiance, not _you. _Honestly."

Haley shrugged, "She did, mostly. Left us standing in the middle of the road, but she was yelling at him when she took off, so yeah."

"What a peach," Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Oh shit! She still has my cell phone."

"Fuck... that's awkward. You gonna try to get it back?"

"Uhh, no, I've been wanting a BlackBerry anyway."

"That would be so great, though, if you just called your own phone, she picks it up and you're just like. Umm...so...you have my phone, but I did make it home okay, thanks for asking."

"Shoot me. If I can avoid her for the rest of my life, I'm thinking that will be the best option."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Haley tried to roll to her feet and groaned, "Help me up," she waved her hands, "Josh is too heavy."

"What would you do without me?" Brooke grabbed her hands.

XXX

Peyton emerged from her bedroom the next morning, determined to take the first steps to separate her life completely from Nathan Scott. It was over, no matter what.

"Peyton?" a figure sat up on the couch.

She screamed.

"God, it's just me," Nathan sat up and stretched.

"Don't DO that," she glared at him. "Oh, and grab your shit and get the hell out of here, while you're at it."

"This is actually my condo, you know."

"Fine. Then after my coffee, I'll grab my stuff and get out of here myself, then."

"No. Come on, Peyton, do you even have anywhere to stay?"

"Hmmm...I'm sure Lucas would love to have me," she smiled.

If nothing else, Nathan was possessive and just putting that image into his head amused the hell out of her. He deserved it. Assfuck.

"Mr. Sultry _Lucas _actually knew about Haley before I did, so if you still want to stay with him, go right ahead."

"You think this is about the kid?" Peyton wanted to kill him, "Grow up, Nathan. It's not the kid. Yeah, it bothers me. I don't want to think about some other woman having your children, but you _cheated _on me. I thought... I guess I just thought that even if we didn't last forever, you would always at least be faithful and honest. GOD! I'm such a moron."

"Peyton, you're not a moron. I made a mistake. A huge, huge mistake but it was my fault and I'm sorry."

"So you want me to just forgive you, after you fucked another woman, got her pregnant and then paid her off to cover it up?"

"Some day, I hope you will," Nathan shrugged, "Do you really want me to just let you go?"

"Yes," she looked into his eyes, "And if you really love me, that's what you'll do."

XXX

His father had always taught him to fight the battle...but win the war. And this was the time to bow out gracefully if he ever wanted a shot with Peyton again.

"I do love you, Peyton. I'll just grab some clothes and get out of here," he turned to leave and her voice stopped him.

"Nathan-"

"Yeah?" he turned around and her lips met his far too briefly.

"Goodbye, Nathan," she turned back to her coffee and the moment was gone.

Part of him did handsprings at the kiss, but Peyton never said Goodbye to anyone. She said it sounded too final.

And it did.

It haunted him as he drove to his meeting with his lawyers and he could barely remember why he was there.

"Mr. Scott, what can we do for you?"

"As some of you, who prepared the paperwork are aware, there is a woman claiming to be carrying my child. Do to the fact that I was engaged at the time, I paid the woman her desired settlement so that it wouldn't disrupt my relationship. However, do to an unpleasant meeting last night, the engagement is now over. I want my money back for breach of contract, a paternity test and if it is, in fact, my child, I want custody. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, Sir," one of his counsel answered, "You are talking _sole _custody of the child in question?"

The man looked a little appalled and Nathan wanted to strangle him. Why was it so hard for people to understand that he didn't want his son raised by such a manipulative, gold digging whore?

"Would you want _your _son raised by the woman that extorted a million dollars out of you and then told your fiancee?"

Obviously, the man had no response to that.

"Nathan," Lucas tried to talk to him, "You know it's almost impossible for a father to get sole custody of a child. She'd have to be declared an unfit mother."

Nathan shrugged, "So? Isn't she? Look, all of you work for me. If you don't want to anymore, there's the door."

No one made a move.

"Good."

XXX

The phone rang in Haley's apartment and Brooke dashed off to get it.

"Davis/James residence, Brooke speaking."

"Umm...hi," a female voice spoke, "Is there a Haley James there?"

"Maybe, who wants to know?"

"Well, I found her phone and I just-"

"Whoa, whoa, you're the blonde bitch!"

"I'm the _what?_" the girl yelled back.

"Oh, no offense or anything."

Haley waddled into the room, "Brooke, who is that?"

"It's Nathan's blonde, P. Sawyer or whatever, I forget her first name," Brooke turned back to the receiver, "What's your first name again?"

"It's Peyton and I'd really appreciate it if you could just give me an address so I can send the phone over and none of us will have to deal with this anymore."

"How boring," Brooke pouted, and rattled off their address. "So your boyfriend is a huge ass."

Dial tone.

Brooke snickered, "That was kinda fun."

"You're disturbed," Haley shook her head.

There was a knock on the door and Brooke's head spun, "Damn...that was fast. Where does she live, next door?"

"Uhh, hardly," Haley unlocked the dead bolt, "We're not really a Lexus neighborhood," she opened the door.

"Haley James?" an unfamiliar man asked.

"Yes?"

"You've been served."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

After the Fact, Chapter Four  
by superscar

Brooke Davis took one look at the papers in her friend's hand and snatched them before the girl could even process what was going on.

"Don't worry about it, Hales, I'll take care of it."

Now, it was true, Brooke had no more legal experience than Haley did, she didn't even really know what the papers in her hand meant, except an extreme pain in the ass.

So she got on the subway and made her way to downtown Manhattan to one of the high rises, the penthouse of which housed the one of the most successful private law firms in the nation.

It was a long shot and she waited for hours to be seen.

Finally, she made her way into a neat office where diplomas lined the walls. The attorney in the chair was just getting off the phone as she made her entrance and he motioned for her to be seated.

"Good afternoon, Miss..." his voice trailed off and she smiled.

"Davis. Nice to see you, Daddy."

XXX 

"Is there anything else you can think of to help your case?" Mr. Roberts, one of his head attorney's wanted to know. 

"That's all I remember about her," Nathan shrugged, "That's not enough."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Scott, a one night stand is fairly common place, it isn't even enough to prove she is particularly loose, let alone a danger to her child."

"She was practically falling down drunk."

"That actually supports a case against you more than her. It casts into doubt her consensuality in the matter."

"I was practically falling down drunk too!"

"So you're a total hypocrite, is what you're saying," his brother threw into conversation.

"Fuck off, dude, don't you have endorsements to worry about?"

"Look, Mr. Scott, we can understand why in this circumstance you may not have particularly rosy feelings toward this woman, I'm not fond of my ex-wife either, but she was a wonderful mother to my children and it is more than possible that this Haley James could be as well." 

"Fine just...find something. Do your job. God. Get out of here."

They all filed out quickly except Lucas. And since it was, after all, Lucas's office, it didn't seem likely that he'd be taking off after them.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to be, Luke."

"You weren't supposed to be a total asshat? Well, yeah, I'd agree, but that's partially Dan's influence, don't feel too bad."

"Right, thanks for that, Luke, but that's not what I mean. There shouldn't even be a Haley. It was always about me and Peyton. It should be us. There shouldn't be a custody battle or a break up. Just us, getting married."

Lucas sighed, "I take it she doesn't see it that way?"

"I think she has the image of me with another woman too firmly implanted in her imagination to really bother with anything else."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Let her go, I guess," Nathan shrugged, a little shocked the words were coming out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Lucas blinked at him. 

"That's what she wants."

"Right, but what do you want?"

Nathan played with the pen in front of him. "I want her to believe that I love her."

XXX

Haley waited around for Brooke for hours. Where on earth could the girl possibly go?

When the doorbell rang, Haley rolled her eyes. How many times could one person forget their keys?

"Brooke, honestly," she opened the door, "Oh. You're not Brooke." 

"Umm... no," the blond shook her head, "Here's your phone," Peyton handed Haley the razor, "And I'm sorry about, you know, leaving you in the middle of the road. So. Bye."

"I didn't know he was engaged," Haley blurted out as the other girl turned to go.

Peyton shrugged, "Well. He's not. Anymore, anyway."

"Okay, well. Good luck, then," Haley cursed herself for saying anything, but she couldn't help but feel bad for the girl who'd been screwed over by this whole situation.

Peyton looked at her for the first time, like she was trying to read her and Haley covered her belly with her hands automatically.

"Watch out for Nathan. He's learned to get what he wants."

Haley didn't need to be told that Nathan was dangerous. She'd been served with papers that indicated just that. She had no idea how to respond and Peyton walked down the hall, passing Brooke on the way.

"Hey, was that-"

"Yeah, I got my phone back."

"I'd give her an 8.5. Blondes were never my thing," Brooke shrugged as she came through the door.

"Were girls ever your thing, Brooke?" Haley asked.

"Why, honey, I thought you'd never ask," she winked.

"You're in a good mood. What happened?" 

"I got you a lawyer. He's expensive, but you'll need expensive to keep the money."

Haley was shocked, "You know lawyers? You know things about things other than TV?"

"Hey! I'm an actress, I know things about TV and the theater, thank you very much."

"Sorry, I stand corrected. You are a genius in all things fictitious."

"Thank you. Anyway, yes, I know a lawyer. He happens to be my father."

Haley's eyes bugged. "The father you haven't talked to in, what, five years?" 

"How many fathers do you think I have, Hales? But seriously, he's a really good lawyer and he's not giving us any price cut or anything, so yeah, we have to go see him tomorrow about the case."

Haley smiled, "Didn't realize you felt so guilty." 

"What? I feel bad that your first time out in the world of one night stands, you got knocked up by such a total assface-"

"I love you, Brooke," Haley squeezed her friend in a hug.

"Oh, kiddo," Brooke sighed, "What will we do with you?"

XXX 

The phone rang in Lucas's office just as they were about to go out to eat and he picked it up immediately, ignoring Nathan's irritated look.

"Lucas Scott."

"We have absolutely no comment and honestly, Jane, I'm a little hurt that you could possibly think something like that of Nathan-"

... 

"I'm not commenting on rumors. Goodbye, Jane," he hung up. "Let's go."

"Uhh... what the hell?" Nathan gestured to the phone.

"Don't worry about it."

"Right, of course, not my business," Nathan nodded, "Except for when you said 'Nathan' so spill."

"There's a rumor you knocked up a groupie to get back at Peyton for some kind of fight you had." 

"That's totally taken out of context. I had a fight with Dan, then I had a fight with Peyton, then I got plastered and knocked up the groupie."

"Right, did you want me to call her back and clarify?" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I don't care what some tabloid was asking."

"Jane's from ESPN." 

XXX

"Good morning, Brooke, Ms. James. I'm Robert Davis, I'll be your handling attorney until such a time that you decide to find another one," he smiled and Haley could see where Brooke's natural and obvious charm came from.

"I appreciate you taking the case," Haley couldn't think of anything else to say. 

"I've taken a look at the papers and Nathan Scott is suing you for the full amount of money that he gave to you as well as full custody of your child."

Haley's mouth dropped, "I didn't- I guess I didn't read past the paternity test. Oh my God, can he do that?" Just the thought of losing her baby made her panic and tears rushed immediately to her eyes. It wasn't fair, it wasn't possible. But he was so rich...

"No," Mr. Davis said firmly, "We won't let him do that. This isn't like stealing a basketball. He has no idea how difficult this battle will be for him."

"Okay...what do we do?"

"You have to tell me everything. Everything about what happened the night the child was conceived. The night you met subsequently and anything about you that could possibly be used to prove you'd be an unfit mother."

"Umm...okay...well... I met him at a bar-"

"What bar? Give me all the details you can remember."

"O'Malley's bar. I got there around eight? Nine? I'm not sure exactly."

"And you were alone? Yeah, Brooke was doing a play and I just wanted to get out."

"Why that night? Why that bar?"

"It was the anniversary of a friend's death. And the bar – I don't know. I spaced and got off on the wrong street on the subway, I was just going to grab a cab back, but the bar was right there and I just... went in."

"And you'd never been there before?"

"Never."

"Okay, keep going..."

_Flashback_

Haley walked into O'Malley's Bar for the first time ever. It was clearly heavily focused on sports, which was a little disturbing for her tastes, but they seemed to be pouring alcohol and that was really all she cared about. Besides, the place was pretty deserted anyway.

The last thing she wanted was company.

So she got a beer. She'd never particularly loved the taste of them, but drinking fast, it was hard to notice and she definitely drank fast.

It wasn't long before she noticed her company, or at least she noticed his deep blue eyes.

"Nathan," he offered his hand.

"Haley," she shook it.

"Can I join you?"

They didn't talk much at first, just got down to the business of heavy drinking and she thought maybe he wanted to forget something too.

"You ever been in love, Haley?"

"God, no," she looked up at him, shocked that it was his first question.

He laughed, maybe at her honesty. Who knows, but she loved to hear it. It made her feel funny. Usually Brooke was the funny one.

She never returned the question to ask if he had been in love. Was, in fact, currently in love. Maybe it would be different if she had. But maybe not.

"I'm...drunk," Nathan told her and it turned out he was pretty funny too because Haley laughed delightedly. 

"Lightweight," she called him and knocked over her glass. "Oh no!" she wailed.

Nathan bought her another glass and she held it very carefully.

"Don't leave me this time, Mister," she told it sternly.

"You're funny," Nathan grinned at her, as though he had never met a funny person before. 

"You're supposed to tell me I'm pretty," Haley tried to frown at him, but busted into giggles.

"See, I thought that was ob-vious," he over pronounced it.

"You're drunk," she informed him.

"I told you!"

"So why are you here, Nathan?"

He considered her question carefully, "I don't remember. It wasn't good, though."

"Bartender, you really need to cut this man off," Haley called out.

"Traitor," Nathan hissed, "Haley's totally drunk, she'll puke on the bar if you give her any more! Hah!" he winked at her.

"Well, whatiff they want me to puke on the car? Wait. No, that's wrong." 

Nathan was extremely amused by her mistake.

"Like you're some kind of good... talker."

"I'm better at other things," he winked at her.

"Well, I'll have to she it," Haley frowned, "See it! To believe it."

He was off the chair and pulling her hand immediately, "Shall we?"

"Mmmhmmm," she let herself be led out the door and down the street, where a huge hotel loomed in front of her.

"Holy crap!" she stated as she walked in and Nathan snickered at her reaction.

For the most part, Haley thought they were pretty successful at concealing their state of total drunkenness except when they occasionally burst out laughing as they checked in... and made faces in the mirror in the ride up the elevator.

Nathan didn't remember why he was drunk and neither of them wanted to. The second the door closed, she pulled him to the bed and their first kiss was sweet. Like they'd never done it before.

"You're really pretty," Nathan whispered in her ear and Haley smiled.

"See? Learning!" 

They kissed again but there was no rush. It wasn't how sex with a stranger was supposed to be, or not how she imagined. There was comfort and giving. All encompassing empathy because they didn't know each other well enough to see the bad parts of them.

It was exactly what she needed until she woke up and the bed was empty. And her head was pounding.

End Flashback

"And at what point did you give him your number?" Mr. Davis asked and Haley blushed.

"Oh. Umm...I sort of wrote it...on him?" she grimaced.

Brooke laughed. "Nice move! Seriously, I'm using that!"

Mr. Davis cleared his throat.

"Right. Sorry, Dad."

"So, moving on," he turned back to Haley, "What kind of dirt can they find to keep you away from this child?" 

XXX

"...you found what?" Nathan smiled into the phone, "Really. That's great! Good work. This is perfect." 

Lucas eyed him strangely as Nathan hung up and put his blackberry back in its holster. "You look happy. I'm sort of creeped out."

"That was the private investigator I hired to find out about Haley."

"Great, did she have a speeding ticket?" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Better," Nathan smirked, "She was in a mental hospital."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

After the Fact, Chapter Five

by scarlet (superscar)

One of Haley's biggest concerns as she made her way to her attorney's office was that Nathan Scott would actually be present for her deposition. There was no possible way she could stay calm if he was there watching her every word.

The fact that he believed her to be some kind of gold digging groupie, she could deal with, though she didn't really like _anyone _to think badly of her, particularly the father of her child.

But she couldn't handle him taking her baby. Just the idea that he was trying to was horrifying on such a deep and painful level, Haley could barely breathe at times, just thinking about it. Brooke had spent almost every second assuring her it could never happen, no matter how much money he had.

Why would he want to do it? How could he hate her that much? Was the money really that big of a deal to him? Could he believe she'd be that poor of an influence on a child he hadn't even wanted until recently? Or did he just want to inflict as much pain as he could on her, in some sort of twisted revenge?

Haley was frustrated with herself for her naivete. It seemed like she was constantly shocked by the cruelty of people, that just because she, herself, would never go out of her way to hurt someone, that others wouldn't share these same moral principles and behave accordingly.

She'd barely survived high school, and now this.

"Haley James, right?" the secretary behind desk caught her attention as she entered the office.

"Right, I'm here for my deposition?"

"Of course, just go on back to Mr. Davis's office, you can just relax and he'll let you know what to expect and then in an hour or so it will be in held in Conference Room 3."

"Sure, no problem," Haley nodded, taking the familiar path back to her lawyer's office.

Mr. Davis stood up immediately as she entered and motioned to the chair, "Did you need help sitting down?"

Haley shook her head, concentrating on getting her larger than normal ass into the seat without her legs giving out.

"Is Brooke with you today?" he looked almost hopeful and Haley felt a little bad for him. She knew the whole story of how he'd tried to control Brooke's life since she was a child, but Haley now had a certain sympathy for parents parted from their children, no matter what reason.

"She had a call back audition for Grease, I'll let you know where it's playing if she gets it."

He looked embarrassed, "Oh, don't worry about that. Let's get down to business, Haley. Remember while you're in there that their whole purpose is to rile you up, to ask questions that will infuriate you and take your life out of context. They have no case and they're going to have to resort to tricks. Don't let it work. Everything that they squeeze out of you initially, we'll be able to clear up in the cross examination, so don't sweat what they ask until afterwards."

"No problem," Haley nodded, trying to seem anything other than terrified.

"Nathan Scott will not be present, so don't worry about that, it will just be his lawyers."

Relief flooded through her body, it would be so much easier to keep calm without him around.

"So let's just run through some sample questions, then, are you ready?"

Haley took a deep breath, "Go for it."

XXX

Nathan lay on the floor of his new hotel room, shooting his basketball straight up, and catching it – over and over. He was trying not to think, just concentrate on his shot. It was an exercise he'd been practicing since elementary school and it relaxed him. Like meditation.

He was 99.99 Josh's father. The paternity results were back, but he wasn't really surprised. From the second Lucas said 'six months ago' and he really looked at Haley's picture, he'd known it was his. It hadn't been real then, he'd just wanted the whole torture of it to end, to never let Peyton find out, so he panicked. He signed the check.

But he still wondered.

Nathan cleared his head, he was thinking again. He'd been trying _not _to.

The door bell rang and he ignored it. There was only one person he wanted to see right now, and there was no way in hell she'd break this early in the game.

But the ringing persisted. It was either a really excitable girl scout or someone who knew him well enough to realize he'd ignore them.

He stayed where he was and eventually the ringing stopped...and the knocking began. An erratic rhythm that screwed with his concentration.

"God damn it," he muttered, rising from the floor and lumbering to the door. "What?" he barked as he opened it.

"Oh, Nathan, you _are_ home!" the woman in front of him looked delighted and he wished he'd been able to ignore her.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I heard that things didn't work out with you and your girlfriend and I felt just _awful _I had to come and see you."

"She was my fiance, mom, and you never liked her in the first place."

"Does that mean that I can't feel bad for my only son when he's in pain?"

"Why don't you just drop me off with Dan, that's what you're used to, isn't it?"

Debra Lee's eyes narrowed as he spoke, "Nathan, I've apologized for that, I was in a rough place and I thought it would be best for you. All my life, I've just wanted what was best for you."

"What's _best _for me would have been not to have a junkie loser for a mother or psychotic control freak for a father, but I guess you couldn't help that, could you?"

"Nathan, I was a single mother and I had trouble dealing with life sometimes, I admit that. But I cared about you, I loved you, I will always love you."

"Good to know," Nathan tried to shut the door, but she pushed against it. "Mom, I have practice. You know, a job. I believe you've had a few yourself between husbands."

"Don't be like this, Nathan, if you let anger consume you, you'll end up just like your father."

Nathan wanted to laugh, "Haven't you heard, mom? He's a new man. He's happy, he's satisfied, he wants everything to be peachy with everyone."

Deb obviously hadn't been privy to this information like he was and her mouth dropped.

"That's right, he married Lucas's mother about a year ago. Didn't tell me for awhile, of course, being that we weren't speaking, but yeah. Everything's great with Dan, he wanted _my _forgiveness for the hell he put me in after you basically boxed me up and sent me off to him."

"Nathan, I fought for you, in court, but I lost, I didn't _give _you to him, not ever!"

"Fuck off, mom, you didn't fight for shit, the case was settled out of court, there was never a ruling."

"He knew things, Nathan, I would have lost you anyway!"

"I guess he knew you pretty well, then," Nathan told her, pushing the door closed before she could respond.

As a child, Nathan's whole world was Debra Lee. There was no person more perfect in his mind, his memories were full of color and light. She was a fun mom, she took him everywhere and tried to give him everything. But that was before everything changed. She was there less, she forgot him more. He couldn't forget the pitying look his kindergarten teacher had given him when she was late to pick him up.

But he'd loved her desperately, begged for her attention in all the ways a child could. He'd smothered her with his attention and sometimes, she responded. Nathan didn't understand the ups and downs at the time. As an adult, he was frustrated looking back at the innocent he once was, that he couldn't pull it together at the time, he just wanted his drug addict whore of a mommy.

Nathan grabbed his basketball from the floor and hurled it across the room. Nothing broke, much to his disappointment. He wanted to destroy something, anything.

XXX

"Do you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

Haley was confused by the question, she'd expected something different. "No."

"Dr. Allison of the Raleigh Mental Treatment Center told us she delivered this diagnosis on October 3, 2003. Was she lying?"

"No, she wasn't lying, but it was misdiagnosed."

"Who made the proper diagnosis, then?"

"Dr. Baker."

"Dr. Kevin Baker?"

"That's correct."

"Were you aware that _Mr. _Baker has since lost his medical license, but Dr. Allison is now the head of the Mental Treatment Facility?"

"No," Haley shook her head, not sure where they were going with the questions.

"Is it not perhaps true, then, that we should consider Dr. Allison's diagnosis?"

"No. I had Acute Stress Disorder."

"Acute Stress Disorder lasts up to four weeks, maximum. Why were you in the facility for six weeks if that's the case?"

"Objection," Haley's attorney jumped in, talking mostly to the stenographer, "Please note that my client isn't a doctor, this isn't a question for her to answer."

"If the judge agrees with your assessment, we'll strike this from the record," the opposing counsel agreed and turned back to Haley, "Please answer the question."

"I think the extra time was for observation."

"Because they weren't sure of the diagnosis?"

"Because they wanted to be sure I was safe."

"Safe from yourself or safe for others to be around?"

"Objection, my client isn't her own physician, you know they won't let this question pass."

The attorney looked a little annoyed, but gave, "Question withdrawn. Have you had any subsequent symptoms for Acute Stress or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"No."

"Are you an alcoholic?"

"No."

"Do you consider yourself promiscuous?"

"_No," _Haley was going to murder this man.

"Do you consider yourself bi-sexual?"

"No!"

"Who did you kiss at midnight on New Years Eve?"

Haley's eyes bugged. How could he possibly _know _something like that?

"Please answer the question."

"Brooke Davis," Haley sighed. God, she wished Brooke hadn't talked her into that. It _did _have the desired affect, they were very popular the rest of the night.

"Your current roommate."

"Yes."

"Are you in a lesbian relationship with her currently?"

"_No_, it was just..." Haley hesitated to explain with Brooke's father in the room, "It wasn't a sexual thing. More of a feminist thing."

Thankfully, he changed the subject, "If you're not an alcoholic, you're not promiscuous and you've had no subsequent symptoms of your disorder, how do you explain your behavior the day you met Nathan Scott? Consuming extreme amounts of alcohol and having sexual intercourse within hours of meeting him?"

Haley wanted to drop kick his head, but she answered the question, "It was the anniversary of a friend's death, I had a few more drinks than usual and Nathan Scott is much more charming when he's drunk. Less...like himself."

One of Nathan's lawyers snickered, only to get elbowed from both sides by his colleagues.

It still made Haley feel a little better, though.

"What was the name of your friend?"

"Tim Smith."

"His death was what the catalyst of your disorder?"

"Correct."

"But you want us to believe your out of control behavior on the anniversary of his death was unrelated to the disorder?"

"I wasn't _out of control, _first of all," Haley glared at the man, wanting him melt into a pool of goo, "I was mourning the loss of one of my very best friends, you arrogant bastard, not that you or your client would understand human fucking emotions!"

Haley saw the stenographer wince and her anger chilled instantly as cold dread swept through her veins.

Shit.

XXX

Nathan picked up the phone on the second ring, ready to toss hang up if it was his mother. "Scott."

"This is Mr. Roberts, we have a rough copy of the Haley James deposition and I believe you'll be pleased with the results. We don't want to messenger it over due to the sensitive nature, but if you could come to the office to view it, we'll decide where to go next."

"Great," Nathan smiled for the first time all day, "I'll be right there."

Finally, something was going right.

XXX

Haley couldn't help the tears from rolling down her cheeks as she made her way back to her apartment.

She was going to lose her son.

"Honey, are you okay?" a woman on the train asked her, "Are you going into labor?"

"No," Haley shook her head, "Just a bad day."

"Man problems?"

"'Man' is a strong word for him," Haley muttered bitterly.

Her companion laughed, "Jane Harrison," she held her hand out.

"Haley James."

"We've all been there, Haley, what separates your jackass from the rest?"

Haley sighed. Long story.

XXX

"Please don't shut the door."

Peyton sighed, letting the door swing open a little, "Nathan, you can't keep doing this, you're hurting both of us."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just... My mom came to see me."

"Oh God, here we go," Peyton groaned, "Do you want some coffee?"

She wasn't sure exactly why she was letting Nathan through her door again, but she was strangely excited to give him advice, when she wouldn't have to soften it like she would have before. It was strangely exhilarating and she couldn't wait to lay into him.

"What's wrong with you?" Nathan asked.

Perhaps he noticed the bounce in her step as she found a mug for his coffee. "Nothing, you came to me, so spill."

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, that I couldn't forgive Dan that night. He wanted me to, you wanted me to. I couldn't forgive him for making me hate my mom, for trying to control my whole god damn life and then when you," he paused, breathing hard, "...when you took his side, I lost it. I know that you just wanted me to be at peace with my father, but I couldn't. I can't. I still can't. I hate him. I hate her."

This was the Nathan Scott that she couldn't hate, the little boy that he sometimes was, that didn't understand why his mother didn't love him, that made Peyton's heart ache because her mother left her too.

"Nathan, what did your mother say?"

"That she just wanted to be there for me since we broke up, but that's such fucking bull shit!"

"She never liked me," Peyton agreed.

"It was probably about money, I just didn't let her get around to asking."

Privately, Peyton agreed with him. While Deb Lee probably really did love her son, she had always loved herself just that much more.

"What does this have to do with me, Nathan?"

"If I would've listened to you and forgiven my father, none of this would have happened, we would still be getting married. So tell me, now, tell me what to do and I'll make it better. Should I talk to my mom? Should I let Haley have the baby?"

"Nathan, you and I will never be better. Maybe someday, we'll be able to be friends, but I can't marry you, I can't marry someone who blames all his problems on circumstance. You're barely taking responsibility for what you did! God, Nate. _Dan _didn't cheat on me. _Your mom_ didn't cheat on me. _Haley _didn't cheat on me. You did. You ruined our relationship. Don't pretend it was because of the fight because I was there too. I could have made myself feel better my fucking some random guy, but I didn't, I waited for you to come home to me. And I can't devote my life to someone who wouldn't do the same."

"I'm so sorry," Nathan closed his eyes, "You're right, it's totally my fault and I wish I could take it back."

"Your parents screwed you over Nathan and I'm sorry, but you have to get over it. Get a therapist or something if you need one, but don't keep destroying your life because they're not here to do it for you."

"How long have you been waiting to say that?"

"Since we met."

"Six years...wow."

"Felt good," Peyton smiled.

"I don't know how to do this without you, Peyt."

"Don't be pathetic, of course you do."

Nathan took a deep breath, "Thanks for the coffee."

XXX

Brooke hadn't stopped ranting since Haley got home.

"...and I cannot believe that a jury would not see through that jerkface fuckwad."

"The jury hasn't had a chance to yet, your dad said not to worry."

"Whatever, where does he live? No, never mind, I can find him on my own," she shrugged on a jacket.

"Brooke, what are you doing?" Haley was nervous.

"I'm telling him it wasn't you."

"No!" Haley was appalled, "He'll sue you for fraud or something, accuse me of perjury, we agreed to keep it under wraps!"

"Don't worry, it will be a 'just between us' sort of thing, I can't let him do this, Haley. No one who really knew you would ever consider this. It's not fair."

"You can't change people, Brooke."

"Watch me," she walked out the door.

XXX

"Your brother is _insane_!"

Lucas didn't have to look up to know who it was, "Brooke, always a pleasure."

"You have to fix this."

"_Me?_ Talk to him!"

"Well, I would, if I could find him, but you'll have to do."

"Lucky me."

"You can't let him do this to Haley. She's the sweetest, most perfect person and he's a gutless fuckhead that needs a kick in the teeth."

"And I'm sure you're the woman to deliver?"

"Only if you're not man enough to do it for me."

"Look, I've tried to get him to stop, I keep telling him not to be an ass about this, but Nathan's stubborn, it's hard for him to understand people in shades of gray. All he can see is that Haley's first priority is money and he can't see that she might be using that money to provide better for her son."

"Haley didn't know about the money. She wouldn't ask for it, so I did."

Lucas looked impressed.

XXX

"Brooke, you could at least take your keys when you hunt down - " Haley stopped talking as the door opened fully and it became clear she was talking to the wrong brunette.

"Hi."

"I think everything beyond that can be conveyed between our lawyers," Haley told him.

Nathan's look nailed her and Haley for the first time since that night, she felt the pull behind those beautiful eyes. "I want to drop the case."

"A minute won't hurt, come right in," she stepped back from the door.

He smiled and followed her inside.

"I don't have coffee cause you're only supposed to have a cup and considering me, that's like, giving an addict like, an ounce of crack, but keeping the bag right next to them..." she tried to take a breath to stop the hailstorm of unnecessary.

"That's fine, I just wanted to let you know that I want to settle out of court and I'm sorry that I put you through this whole thing, I'm-"

Haley wasn't sure what to do with this extremely sudden change in the ex-lover-formerly-known-as-Satan.

"Why would you... do you not want Josh anymore, is that it?"

"No, I want to be a father still, I just don't want to stop you from being a mother. Do you think maybe we could work something out? Out of court?"

"Not if you're really as bi-polar as you seem right now." It flew out of her mouth before she thought _maybe _she could actually let him drop the case _before _she went bitch on him.

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, "I get that you needed money. I read in the transcript that you lost your job, I probably would have blackmailed me too."

"So all of a sudden you're just on my side? Is this because of the 'human fucking emotion' thing, are you trying to prove something?"

There was something there, something tangible and significant that had changed his mind about her, but he wasn't telling and it was driving her totally crazy. Brooke hadn't found him to tell him, so what was it?

"We're going to be parents soon and if you can't at least be honest with me, why should I let you anywhere near my son?"

"You never would have let me have him, would you?"

Haley glared at him, "I would kill you before I gave you my baby. That's a promise."

Unexpectedly, he smiled. "Good. That's good. First step toward being a good mom."

"I will _throw _Brooke's keys at you if you don't tell me what the fuck changed your mind."

Nathan laughed, "I play basketball, you don't think I can catch a set of keys?"

He was the most infuriating person on the planet. "Look, you may never have seen a pregnant person run after you, but trust me, it's not pretty."

"Fine, look, I knew him, okay? We went to the same basketball camp."

"What?" Haley had no idea what he was talking about.

"Tim Smith. I knew him. I heard when he died and I know how it happened and if you were Tim Smith's best friend, you can't be that bad."

"_Tim _was one of the most obnoxious people I ever knew..." Haley couldn't help laughing at the thought of Tim and Nathan, like, hanging out, it was ridiculous.

"I know, he cracked me up," Nathan joined her laughter at it was a strange, comfortable moment.

"Then you must know Jake too, right? Jagielski?" she asked.

"What was that?" Nathan's eyes narrowed, "that batty eyelash thing when you asked about Jake?"

Haley could feel her entire body turn red, "There was no...batty eyelash thing."

"You must have dated, right?"

"I'm so not discussing this with you, don't you have basketball to play?"

"Agree to joint custody and I'll leave," Nathan grinned.

"Hah!"

"Then answer the question, you and Jagielski go out?"

There was something about him that made her want to play along and bash his head in at the exact same time.

"Fine. The answer is no. Jake and I did not go out...we stayed in," she winked. "Now I believe you have to be going?"

Nathan got to his feet and pulled out his phone, "I'll just call Lucas, get the ball rolling to drop the case. You can even watch me."

It was tempting to tell him that it was okay, that she trusted he would do what he said...but since that wasn't even close to the case, Haley just motioned for him to continue.

"Hey Luke," he said into the phone, "I was just calling to...no, I'm not watching TV, why? Uh-huh...interesting. I'll talk to you about this later," he snapped the phone closed.

Haley frowned, "But you didn't tell him...about the settlement."

"Did you meet someone named Jane today?"

"No...oh, well, yes, actually, on the train...why?"

Nathan picked up the remote and snapped on the TV.

"...bitter custody battle between James and Scott in what James said to be 'petty revenge' over Scott's break up with actress, Peyton Sawyer."

As the TV flipped back off, Haley stared, slack-jawed at the blank screen.

Here things had been going so well...

To Be Continued


End file.
